Soon, Ichinose Honami's expression returned to normal first.

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as she revealed a somewhat curious smile.

"Ahaha, you two seem really close."

Her tone betrayed nothing unusual as she stared intently at Kaoru Mitoma and Sakayanagi Arisu.

Even knowing the girl wasn't the type to get jealous, Kaoru still felt a hint of pressure.

Regardless, being intimate with another girl in front of his girlfriend wasn't ideal.

With that thought, he subtly put some distance between them.

"Don't go ordering people around so casually next time."

Though it sounded like a protest directed at Sakayanagi, it was actually an explanation to the others—that Sakayanagi had acted on her own and that their relationship hadn't crossed certain boundaries yet.

Sakayanagi chuckled softly, completely unfazed by Kaoru's protest.

Instead, she turned to Ichinose with a meaningful look.

"I'm a little curious—what kind of relationship do we seem like to you, Ichinose-san?"

Ichinose's expression stiffened again.

How dare she outright interrogate her, his girlfriend, like this?

Yet she knew she couldn't show even a hint of anger in this situation.

"Good friends, I suppose?" Ichinose forced out a laugh.

She shouldn't be angry—no, she had no reason to be angry—so why did her chest feel so tight?

For some reason, her jaw and facial muscles were tense, making her smile tremble slightly.

The discomfort was unbearable.

This feeling was even more unpleasant than during summer break.

No—perhaps it was because she remembered what had happened back then that her irritation grew worse.

"Fufu, that's right. Mitoma-kun is my good friend—for now, at least." Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes, a mischievous glint flashing in them, as if she'd discovered something amusing.

She deliberately lingered on the last syllable, as if emphasizing something, her expression radiating an almost excessive composure.

To an outsider, Sakayanagi's reply might have seemed odd, but to Ichinose, the provocation couldn't have been clearer.

Don't get angry.

Stay polite.

Don't arouse suspicion here...

But she was the girlfriend here!

What right did the other girl have to act so smug?

Just then, Kushida Kikyo's cheerful voice suddenly chimed in from the side.

"Eh, I want to be good friends with Sakayanagi-san too!" The girl sounded like she was mustering her courage.

"Since we're teammates for this sports festival, it'd be a shame to miss the chance. I'd feel a little regretful otherwise."

She then gave an awkward, embarrassed laugh.

Befriend Sakayanagi ?

Kaoru's expression turned strange.

Though Kushida hid it well, her trademark smile was far too fake.

"Not just Sakayanagi-san, but if possible, I'd love to hang out with Mitoma-kun too."

Kaoru subtly turned his face away.

You're showing your hand way too quickly.

And why are you jumping on the bandwagon too?

"Of course. Actually, I'd love to build good relationships with students from other classes," Sakayanagi Arisu replied with unusual cheerfulness, already aware of the situation unfolding before her.

This is quite amusing.

"That's great! What about you, Mitoma-kun?" Kushida Kikyo forced a radiant smile through gritted teeth.

"About what you promised me last time—can we do it these next few days?"

A question mark practically materialized above Kaoru's head.

What did I promise her?

"Can—we—do—it?" Kushida's face was all smiles, but if he refused now, she would lose it completely today.

"Well, I can, but I need to check if I have time—" Kaoru barely got the words out before she cut him off.

"Great! Then it's settled!" Kushida didn't give him a chance to finish.

Sakayanagi, leaning on her cane, locked eyes with Kushida.

Sparks seemed to fly between them in midair.

Katsuragi shot Kaoru a helpless look before silently leading Class A toward the gymnasium exit.

"Mitoma-kun, want to head to the student council together later?" Ichinose Honami suddenly suggested.

Kaoru thought for a moment—he did need to visit the student council today—and nodded in agreement.

Watching this unfold, Sakayanagi blinked and gave Kaoru a tender look.

"Come back soon, Mitoma-kun."

It might have been his imagination, but Kaoru definitely heard the sound of teeth grinding.

*****

Amid the crowd, Horikita Suzune calmly observed Kaoru and Ichinose as they walked away.

Though she found the earlier events utterly baffling, one thing was certain:

Class A was no longer a match for Class D.

Regardless of what kind of person Kaoru Mitoma was, having him as an ally was far better than facing him as an enemy.

This sports festival should secure them a victory in the group battles.

After that, Class D just needed to focus on earning more points to avoid falling behind in the year's rankings—that way, they could avoid penalties.

Horikita took a deep breath.

She knew this line of thinking was shameful, almost like admitting she was inferior to Kaoru.

A part of her even felt relieved.

But facts were facts.

At their current level, Class D stood no chance against Class A.

Forget climbing to Class A—their immediate priority was protecting what little Class Points they had left.

Before summer break, they had 87 points.

After two special exams, they now had 112.

Class D couldn't afford another failed exam.

More importantly, no matter what, Horikita had to protect her own source of points.

"Hey, Horikita, what's your take on the sports festival?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka inexplicably sidled up to her, drawing Sudou Ken and the others' attention.

"Give it our all and take first place," Horikita replied coldly, not even bothering to look at him.

She had thought Ayanokoji might be useful, but Class D had suffered a crushing defeat in the VIP exam—without even understanding how they lost.

"Should we ask Class A for help?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka suggested. "I think Mitoma-kun would probably assist if it's for your sake."

Horikita Suzune abruptly raised her head, her sharp gaze turning icy.

"Why should I seek his help?"

"You two get along well, don't you? Weren't you having a pleasant conversation at the café last time?" Ayanokoji maintained an innocent expression.

"It seems you need to correct your vision."

With that, Horikita strode past him.

Though Ayanokoji was somewhat clever, he was far from being truly helpful.

She'd likely have to face Kaoru Mitoma and his Class A alone from now on.

Of course, before that, she needed to focus on the upcoming sports festival.

At this thought, Horikita paused momentarily—she probably wouldn't be able to pay this month's minimum debt.

Fine, she'd just let him have his way one more time.

The girl clenched her teeth.

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